CERÚNDOLO DEFEATS PAUL IN RECORD QUEEN'S FINAL

Francisco Cerúndolo won the Queen's Club title on Sunday, defeating Tommy Paul 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting three hours and two minutes. The final became the longest in Queen's Club history, surpassing the previous record of two hours and 57 minutes set by Marian Cillic and Novak Djokovic in 2018. Cerúndolo secured victory on his sixth match point. The Argentinian described the achievement as the biggest trophy of his career.

Cerúndolo recovered from a position of significant disadvantage to claim the title. He trailed by a set and a break before mounting his comeback against Paul, who had reached the final without dropping a set during the tournament. The match proved unpredictable throughout, with momentum shifting repeatedly. Cerúndolo credited his forehand, which produced 27 winners, as a decisive factor in the victory. He dedicated the win to his father, Alejandro, who attended the match in London—his first flight outside Argentina and first time watching his son compete internationally.

The victory comes during a period in which several top-ranked grass-court competitors face injury or age-related considerations. Carlos Alcaraz is injured, Novak Djokovic is 39, and Alexander Zverev, champion of the French Open, has never won a grass-court title. Jannik Sinner remains the favourite for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships. Cerúndolo's strong performance at Queen's Club positions him as a contender heading into the grass-court season.